Spies Like Who?
by clarissafrench
Summary: What happens when the TARDIS lands outside John Steed's flat in 1960s London?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: A big thank you to timesup for helping so much with her insightful feedback on this story._

 _Set just after The Idiot's Lantern for Doctor Who and anytime in the Emma Peel era for the Avengers._

The TARDIS materialized outside a building on Stable Mews in London. Rose poked her head out the door.

"So when are we this time? Looks like we're close to home."

"In distance, maybe, but not in time. Well, we are in the grand scheme of things, but not really for you," the Doctor said, looking out from behind her.

"Come on, let's have it then."

"I'd say it's, oh, about 1967, give or take."

"Guess I'm due for a change of clothes, then. Poodle skirt won't cut it for the sixties!"

She ducked her head back inside and closed the TARDIS door.

* * *

A few minutes later, from a window overlooking the street, Emma Peel was surprised to see the blue police box.

"Steed, has there always been a police box on the corner?"

"What police box?" asked Steed.

"The blue one just there," said Mrs. Peel, pointing below.

"That's got to be brand new. But the police don't use those anymore- I can't think of why they would build one now," said Steed. "We'd best keep an eye on it."

Just then, the TARDIS door opened and the Doctor and Rose stepped out.

"I suppose it could be a fun space for two," said Steed, "but they can't have just put it there for _that_. I'm going to follow them. Stay here and keep an eye on that police box, in case they come back."

* * *

The Doctor and Rose walked down the street, hand in hand. She wore a short pink dress with a slightly-flared skirt, while he had opted for his usual brown pinstripes.

"Do I look psychedelic enough for the sixties?" Rose dropped his hand and twirled around, letting her skirt whip around in the breeze.

"Totally groovy," he said with a wink.

The Doctor smiled at Rose's obvious excitement. He knew she didn't stick with him just for the traveling, but he loved showing it all to her. Any man wanted to give his girl the universe- and he could.

"Let's see. 1967- what's good in London 1967?" the Doctor mused. "We could play tourists. I know you're a Londoner through and through, but really, how often are you a tourist in your own hometown?"

"When I'm with you? Any place we go, we're either tourists or runnin' for our lives and trying to save the world. Actually, I think it's a bit of both everywhere. I suppose we didn't do much sightseeing beyond Florizel Street in 1953..."

"And a right good party that was, in the end. We could head for Central London and look for a tourist trap or the end of the world- whichever comes first," said the Doctor, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oi, you. I've seen the end of the world already, but a tourist trap- now that's somethin' new for the two of us."

"Central London it is, then," said the Doctor, linking his arm with Rose's.

Neither of them noticed a man wearing a bowler following them.

* * *

As they strolled along, Rose was thoroughly amused at the sixties fashions all around her, which delighted the Doctor. Glancing around, he tried to find more uniquely sixties things to make Rose laugh. For the third time now, he saw something that didn't particularly mesh with the sixties- a man in a bowler hat. The Doctor tapped Rose gently on the shoulder.

"Don't look now, but we've either picked up an adoring fan, or someone's gotten mighty curious about us. Let's find out how curious they are."

The Doctor pulled Rose into a tourist shop, and they pretended to be interested in postcards for a few minutes. When they stepped out, the Doctor glanced around. "I don't see anyone, but let's give it a block or so."

"I feel like we're playing spies or something," said Rose.

"Well, we could play it to the hilt, all cloak and dagger, but that might net us even more attention- remember the Cold War's still on here."

As they turned a corner, the Doctor caught a glimpse or a bowler in the corner of his eye. "I guess we'll have to be more spy-like than that," the Doctor said.

"If we're going to be spies, shouldn't we have codenames or something?" asked Rose.

"I find 'The Doctor' is usually sufficiently enigmatic. What do you think?"

Rose just smiled. "That's you, my enigmatic Doctor."

"You're my partner in crime, then. Take a look around at the scenery, and make note of that chap wearing a bowler. You see him? The one carrying the brolly."

"Found 'im."

"Fantastic. Now we're going to give him the slip," said the Doctor, smiling widely.

"You've just been dying to say that, haven't you?"

"You have got to appreciate the little things, like old clichés. They make conversation so much more entertaining. 'We're not in Kansas anymore' is one I find particularly apt to my lifestyle. Then there's, 'We'll always have Paris.' We should try going there sometime so we can say that. 'We'll always have the TARDIS' has got a nice ring to it too, though. Anyway, we're going to walk another three blocks. You remember where we parked the TARDIS?"

Rose nodded.

"Then when we get to the third street crossing, after we cross it, you're going to break off from me and head down the road. Make as curvy a route as you like and head back to the TARDIS. I'm going to lead this fine chap on a bit of a chase."

"What if he decides to follow me, Doctor?"

"I'll keep an eye out to make sure he's following me, and I'll catch up if he chooses you. Now let's go be spies," he said, with a reckless grin.

They walked a few more blocks, followed by the man, and stopped to wait for the light at a street crossing.

"This is it," the Doctor whispered. "Once we cross here, you break off from me and go down that street. I'll meet you at the TARDIS; I won't be too long."

"Got it."


	2. Chapter 2

Steed was no stranger to following people. This couple wasn't doing anything remotely suspicious, though. After seeing them come out of that police box, he'd assumed it was a cover for something, but these two appeared to be out to just have fun. They did take an extraordinary amount of joy in walking down a regular street, but that was about it for strange behavior. The girl kept pointing to shop window displays and giggling, while the man seemed to be acting a bit like a tour guide, pointing out things with grand gestures. It looked like a simple case of young love. Still, old-style police boxes didn't appear outside his flat for no reason.

He waited on a bench as they ducked into a souvenir shop. The man probably wanted to get the girl a little British soldier doll or something, Steed thought. They came out empty-handed, however, and Steed continued to trail them. The two were whispering more, but it didn't look like they were being that serious; in fact, they appeared to be highly amused with themselves. They crossed a street, and suddenly, the girl broke off from the man and turned down the street, while the man kept going forward. Steed was surprised; they hadn't looked like they were saying goodbye or planning to part, yet neither of them took that much notice of the fact that they were now heading in different directions. _Strange and interesting_ , thought Steed. He couldn't stay with them both, so Steed opted to follow the man.

* * *

Ten minutes and several turns later, Steed began to wonder if the man really was wandering aimlessly or if he was leading Steed on a wild goose chase. Suddenly, the man stopped and squinted at something, then rushed up to a grey-suited gentleman walking a few feet ahead of him. Steed hurried forward, getting close enough to hear the conversation.

"How are you? I haven't seen you in ages," said the man.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" the gentleman asked.

"Well, I'm positive I've changed a bit since we last met," said the man. "And isn't this embarrassing? Now I've gone and forgotten your name. Hannibal, was it?"

"No."

"Alexander the Great?"

"No."

"I've got it! Brigadier. Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart."

"Why, yes. But who are you?"

"I'm afraid I haven't got any Jelly Babies for you this time, but you can't forget an eccentric chap like me, even without his sweets, can you?"

"Good lord. Doctor, is that you?"

"Got it in one, Brigadier!"

"You certainly have changed. Is Sarah Jane with you?"

"No, Sarah Jane and I parted ways awhile back, although I just saw her in 40 years..."

The conversation got quieter, and Steed couldn't make out what the two men were saying. But what a strange conversation! Steed couldn't work out if it was in code or if the two men just knew each other that well. And if they did know each other so well, why hadn't the Brigadier recognized the Doctor? Why did he just call him Doctor, with no other name? And who recognized someone based on a mention of Jelly Babies? The questions swam in Steed's head, and he felt almost overwhelmed. The strangest part was that last bit he'd heard the Doctor say- he'd seen someone named Sarah in 40 years. He was speaking in past tense about the future. _Curiouser and curiouser_ , thought Steed, as he watched the two men walk into an office building.

"I'm glad I ran into you, Brigadier. I'm being followed around, and I'm like to know why," said the Doctor.

"You're sure?" asked the Brigadier, as they mounted the steps on an office building.

* * *

"Have a discreet look around. You'll see a chap in a bowler, holding a brolly. He followed me and Rose all the way from Stable Mews. I sent Rose off to see if we could throw him off, and he kept with me."

"I've got to say, I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," said the Brig. "We can check the files in my office to see if he's been flagged by U.N.I.T. Is Rose your traveling companion now?"

"Well, more than that really, but she's brilliant to have along," said the Doctor. "Let's forward march and all that to the files- my curiosity's getting the best of me."

* * *

In a red telephone booth across the way from the office building, Steed was ringing Mrs. Peel.

"They've split up on me, so you might keep an eye out for the girl, Mrs. Peel," said Steed. "I stayed with that man for about half a mile or so, when he seemed to spot someone he knew. He ran up to the fellow, and here's the strangest bit. The man didn't recognize him, but as soon as he mentioned Jelly Babies, it was like they were old pals!"

"Jelly Babies?"

"You know, the sweets. I did get some names I'd like you to check for me with the Department. He called the gentleman he met Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, and the Brigadier just called him 'Doctor'. The Brigadier also mentioned someone named Sarah Jane. You've got a head for research, Mrs. Peel; see if you can piece anything together."

"I should be able to find something. Lethbridge-Stewart, you said? It sounds awfully familiar- perhaps I've seen it in the files before. Not a forgettable name, at any rate," said Mrs. Peel.

* * *

Comfortably settled in the Brigadier's office, the two men started sorting through the U.N.I.T. files.

"I'm positive now that I've seen him before- I'm fairly sure he's one of ours, though. Can't think of why he'd be tailing you," said the Brigadier.

"Perhaps I've just got a magnetic personality? Although Rose would say it usually doesn't attract specific people, just trouble."

"Aha! I knew I'd seen him before," said the Brigadier. "You must have rattled _someone_ 's feathers. Your tail is John Steed, one of the best agents the Department has."

"I haven't been here long enough to offend anyone. Well, yes I have, but I don't think I've done anything to deserve the top secret spy treatment," said the Doctor. "Tell you what. I'll go back to the TARDIS and bring Rose back here, and perhaps we can figure it out together. I sent her back at least 20 minutes ago. Don't want to keep a lady waiting. If that lovely chap comes in..."

"I won't tell him anything. You can trust me, Doctor," said the Brigadier. "But how are you going to get away without him seeing you?"

"Have a look around. This office of yours has got a lovely window. If I can ask Queen Victoria to leg it out a window, I can certainly do it myself," said the Doctor, sliding open the window. "See you in a flash!"

 _A/N: If a few bits of the dialogue sound familiar, they should- I'm sort of quoting a bit from "Robot," the 4th Doctor's first episode._


	3. Chapter 3

Mrs. Peel hung up the phone. Steed was on to something interesting, but what? It all sounded quite puzzling. But then mysteries really were their business, right? She'd put in a request for a department courier to bring over any files mentioning the Brigadier or this mysterious Doctor and his friend Sarah Jane. Peering out the window to continue watching the police box, she saw the mystery girl returning, minus her male companion. She looked harmless enough, but Mrs. Peel had seen plenty of people whose exteriors belied a much different personality within. Just then, the door buzzer sounded, and Mrs. Peel got up to answer it. Opening the door, she founded the out of breath courier, arms laden with files.

"That certainly was quick," said Mrs. Peel.

"Only the best for you and Mr. Steed; you do marvelous work for us," said the courier.

Mrs. Peel took the files, and the courier left. Closing the door, she turned and walked to the table. She spread the files out in front of her. It seemed the department had some decent resources at hand. They'd given her the personnel file for Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, as well as a miscellany of other files. Paging through the Brigadier's file, Mrs. Peel was surprised to find that his last command was not in the British Army, but was commissioned through the United Nations. The file was a bit sparse on the details of it, but it listed the Brigadier as the founder and most recent head of United Nations Intelligence Taskforce for unusual threats to international security.

 _Just how unusual_ , Mrs. Peel wondered. There was a personnel list of those under the Brigadier's command. As she scanned it, two names caught Mrs. Peel's eye. She'd located their mysterious friends, but now, she was even more confused. There he was, U.N.I.T.'s scientific advisor, but he was only listed as "The Doctor." No first name, no last name, nothing to expand his identity.

And Sarah Jane Smith- she was a puzzle too. This file listed her as a civilian contributor to the group, but her birth date was down as 1960! How could a 7-year-old be important to a U.N. organization? Flipping through some more pages, Mrs. Peel found a photograph labeled "The Doctor and Sarah Jane" on the back. Turning it over, she found the picture showed a girl in her early 20s standing with a curly-haired man with large eyes and a larger scarf. Both wore impish grins.

Frustrated by the seeming nonsensical nature of this new information, Mrs. Peel sighed and started looking through the files again.

* * *

Steed straightened his bowler and pulled on the end his impeccable jacket to smooth out any wrinkles. Walking into the office building, he checked the front listing and found, in miniscule print, and office number for "Lethbridge-Stewart." Striding down the hall, Steed mused about what he'd say to the men once he got there. A Brigadier should be sufficiently impressed by his red card permit to explain the situation to him.

Stopping in front of the door marked "42," Steed peeked inside the window. The Brigadier was indeed there, but no one was with him. The building didn't have an exit that wasn't visible from the street, so he couldn't have walked out the door without Steed noticing. So where was he?

Knocking lightly on the frame, Steed opened the door.

"Hello Brigadier. John Steed," he said, reaching out for a handshake.

The two men shook hands, and Steed continued. "I was hoping you could help me find something."

"And what might that be?" asked the Brigadier.

"The man in the brown pinstriped suit you met earlier. Who is he?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Mr. Steed. I don't know who you're talking about."

"I assure you I have top clearance for any secrets, Brigadier," said Steed, brandishing his red card.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Steed, you're in the wrong place. You've obviously confused me with someone else. Now if there's nothing else, I have work to do," said the Brigadier, motioning toward the door.

"Ah, well, thank you for your time, Brigadier," said Steed.

Stepping outside the office, Steed mulled over the exchange. The Brigadier had been nothing short of frosty to him. That suggested that either he was trying to hide something, or maybe he didn't take too kindly to other departments on his territory. It just wasn't possible that he'd been mistaken about seeing the Brig with his mystery doctor, Steed was sure of that.

* * *

Emma Peel examined the blue box in front of her. It looked normal enough, but why had that couple left it here? Running her hand along the side of it, she could feel rough wood grains, smoothed by a coat of blue paint. The strange part was that it was locked. Mrs. Peel had picked a fair few locks in her time, but this one wouldn't budge. It was silly, really, but she got the feeling that the box _resented_ the intrusion. Dismissing that as a touch too fanciful, she stood back and looked it over again. Behind her, the Doctor was slowly walking up the block, but when he saw her examining the TARDIS, he crouched down behind a parked car to watch.

Just then, Steed rounded the opposite corner, and Mrs. Peel waved him over. "I've got some interesting information upstairs from the department, but none of it makes any sense- it's as though someone took three puzzles, mixed all the pieces in one box, then asked you to fit it all together," said Mrs. Peel. "I haven't had any luck with this either. The outside looks mundane enough, but the lock is proving to be most impenetrable."

"Don't look too down Mrs. Peel. I seem to have come up empty handed as well. When I looked for that man in the Brigadier's office, he'd vanished, and the Brigadier denied ever seeing him. Took no notice of my clearance pass at all."

Tapping his brolly against the side of the police box, Steed continued, "Tell you what. Let's have a look at those files upstairs and see if two heads really are better than one."

He held open the door to the building for her, and they both went inside.

As soon as the pair was out of sight, the Doctor crept out from behind the parked car, ran over to the TARDIS, and let himself inside. Stepping in, he was nearly bowled over by the flying hug Rose gave him.

"Hey, what's this? I wasn't even close to being gone five and a half hours this time," said the Doctor.

"Yeah, but I missed you. Even for half an hour."

"Such a sweet rose," said the Doctor, winking. "Have I got a story for you. I know I was playing earlier about us being spies, but I promise I'm not making this up. Just after we split up, I ran into the Brigadier. He's an old friend from when I used to travel with Sarah Jane. Anyway, we looked in his files and found the chap who's been following us. And would you believe it? He's a real spy, a genuine secret agent. Top of his game too."

"No way," said Rose. "You mean, all we did was go sightseein' and we got our own James Bond to follow us?"

"Isn't it fantastic?"

"But why would he be interested in us?"

"No idea. But at least we know our secret agent act is convincing," said the Doctor.

The Doctor clasped his hands together, making a mock gun form, and blew across the top of the imaginary barrel. He looked over at Rose, and their "secret agent" expressions disappeared as they dissolved in laughter.


	4. Chapter 4

Steed furrowed his brow as he considered the files of information. "The United Nations Intelligence Taskforce? My army contact says they're highly secretive about their whole operation. All he could find was that if there's an unusual threat, U.N.I.T. is supposed to have the first go at solving it. That could explain why the Brigadier didn't want to talk; perhaps it was work-related."

"But wouldn't he just say it was classified?" asked Mrs. Peel.

"Then he would have been confirming that he at least met with the man, regardless of what they discussed."

"So let's say there's a potentially 'unusual' threat; what sort of protocol would they have?"

"They would gather any experts they needed and make a sort of battle plan. Somehow, that just doesn't sit right, though," said Steed. "I'd imagine they would have a more secure place to discuss it than a government office building, and the Brigadier would have known he would see the Doctor, if he's in charge of the whole operation. It wouldn't have been a surprise on the street that way."

"I wonder what classifies an unusual threat," wondered Mrs. Peel.

"Oh, probably similar to some of our more quirky cases- mad scientists, seemingly unexplainable deaths, that sort of thing."

"There's another thing the just doesn't fit," said Mrs. Peel. "How could a man change his appearance so completely? The photo I saw, I'd think it was an entirely different man."

"I don't think surgery could accomplish such a complete change. Perhaps it's a codename that gets passed on, or there's a certain group of doctors who don't use their last names?"

"The flaw in that is that he acted like he was the same man, at least in that conversation you overheard. You said the Doctor greeted the Brigadier like an old friend, and after he'd mentioned Jelly Babies, the Brigadier reacted in the same manner. That suggests that they both believe he is the same person as in the photograph," reasoned Mrs. Peel.

"Assume for a moment that somehow they are the same person," said Steed. "There are other things about this that don't fit together. They talked about his friend, Sarah Jane Smith, who the records show as being born in 1960, but the same records have a photo of her in her 20s."

"Could be her mother, I suppose, and they recorded the wrong date in the records. We should check."

The telephone rang.

"Steed here."

Mrs. Peel started to stack the files while Steed talked.

"I see. We'll be right there."

He hung up the phone.

"The Department needs us for an investigation, so we'll have to put this on hold for the moment."

"What's the trouble?"

"It seems that various MPs have been receiving threatening letters."

"That's serious enough, but why is the Department handling it?"

"The letters are anonymous, but all appear to be from the same source. Every last one accuses the MP in question of being an alien!"

"You mean to say they think the House of Commons is the hot place for little green Martians to go?"

"So it would seem. We're to meet with a Parliamentary security representative and some other government official about determining the source and cause of the allegations."

Steed picked up his brolly and set his bowler neatly atop his head. He opened the door to the hallway. "After you, Mrs. Peel."

* * *

Once they'd gotten over their initial amusement about being followed by secret agents, Rose and the Doctor set out to go see the Brigadier again. This time, there were no spies to be seen.

"Either he's gotten a lot better at following us, or we're in the clear," said the Doctor.

"Why are we going back to see the Brigadier if that spy knows we might go there?"

"Well, we can't let a silly thing like espionage get in the way of calling on an old friend. Besides, I've already mentioned you to the Brigadier, and he wants to meet you. He knew Sarah Jane, you know. Stand up chap, the Brigadier. Doesn't let alien things throw him off balance. That's why he's in charge of U.N.I.T."

"Is there a U.N.I.T. back home?"

"I should think so, although the Slitheen took out some of their best people that day in Downing Street. I didn't bother to look them up when I first came by in my last regeneration. I met someone first who was far more interesting to hang about with- a shop girl, maybe you'd know her?"

Rose smiled and took his hand. "That's the thing about travelin'- it's always better with two," she said.

* * *

They reached the office building, and the Doctor led Rose through the corridors to the Brigadier's office.

"It all looks so normal and dry, not at all like I'd expect," said Rose.

"Did you think they mounted ray guns over all the doors? Besides, this isn't the headquarters. The Brigadier keeps a separate office for meetings where people don't have clearance to be in the heart of U.N.I.T. Also makes for a more low-profile visit."

They stopped in front of number 42, and the Doctor knocked, opened the door, and poked his head into the room.

"Hello, Brigadier. I've brought a friend to meet you."

Reaching back behind him, he held a hand open for Rose to grasp, opened the door, and pulled her through with a flourish.

"May I present Rose Tyler, my fantastic companion."

* * *

"How odd."

Mrs. Peel turned to look at Steed, as the two sat in his parked Bentley. "What's so strange, Steed?"

"I wrote down the address for our meeting, and this is it. The funny thing is that I was just here. This is where I followed that doctor."

"Perhaps it's fate. Maybe he'll reappear inside."

"An excellent idea, Mrs. Peel."

The two got out of the car and crossed the street. Going inside, Steed gave a building schematic on the wall a cursory glance and led Mrs. Peel down a hallway.

"It should be down here." He stopped into front of an office door. "This is it."

Steed reached for the handle of office door 42 and opened it for her.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello again, Brigadier. I dare say you remember me? I'm here for the Department on the matter of the letters being sent to MPs," said Steed. "Sorry to intrude on your company, but the Department insisted I start the case immediately. Who might you two be?"

The Doctor pulled out his wallet, complete with a very special sheet of paper.

"Doctor John Smith, Ministry of TARDIS," he said, holding out his "credentials."

"TARDIS?" Steed questioned.

"Terribly Annoying Researchers Detecting Insidious Satsumas."

Rose elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow! Oh, all right," said the Doctor. "Only joking. Ministry of Theoretical Astrophysics Resource Development in Science. This here's my colleague, Rose Tyler."

"Why are you here, then? This isn't an observatory," said Steed.

"Well, when I saw my old friend the Brigadier, I just couldn't resist dropping in to say hello."

"But why did you deny he'd been here, Brigadier?" asked Mrs. Peel.

The Brigadier cleared his throat. "Both of us have top secret work; for all you knew we were meeting to discuss that. Think of it as a layer of obfuscation, to disguise when we're really working. Without revealing too much, our work is usually very time-sensitive, and we really don't have time for curious people, even if they are government agents, to poke around."

"You're not supposed to ignore a red security pass, you know," said Steed.

"You shouldn't assume your pass gives you clearance to _everything_ , Mr. Steed," said the Brigadier with a half smile. "Now then, let's get down to business. The Department sent you about the MPs, yes?"

Steed nodded.

"What exactly is the situation?" asked the Doctor.

The Brigadier looked at Steed and nodded. "You haven't got clearance for _his_ work, but he has clearance for yours."

Steed seemed slightly ruffled, but, ever the professional, he began to detail the case.

"Various MPs have received threatening letters in the post. We believe the same person is sending them all, but we haven't been able to track him or her down."

"What sort of threat would require you to meet with the Brigadier?" asked the Doctor.

"To put it quite simply, the MPs are being accused of being aliens. Their office aides who open all the letters have reported them to us. They're afraid this person will try to get to the MPs to prove this alien theory."

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other. "You don't think..." Rose trailed off.

"You've dealt with this before, then?" asked Mrs. Peel.

"I'm not sure it's the same situation," said the Doctor. "To start, have you got photographs of all the MPs in question?"

The Brigadier walked over to a filing cabinet. "I have every MP on file. Which ones have received messages?"

"There's Thorpe from North Devon, Grimond from Orkney and Shetland, Heath from Bexley, Dunwoody from Crewe, and Hooson from Montgomeryshire."

"No one from Flydale North? It's just as well, I suppose," said the Doctor.

The Brigadier walked over with the files and pulled out the photos. The Doctor and Rose looked at them, and Rose sighed with relief.

"How can you tell just from a photo that nothing's wrong?" Mrs. Peel asked Rose.

"The thing is," Rose began, glancing at the Doctor, "that they're all in pretty good shape. They keep healthy and trim, and that's good, right?"

"Well yes, but-"

"We can't exactly spill our _classified_ and incredibly sophisticated ways of identifying problematic MPs, can we? They look all right to me- mind you, I might keep an eye on Dunwoody," said the Doctor. "You lot from the Department place an awful lot of importance on your secrets, so I can't see why I can't have mine. And Rose has got a natural instinct for this sort of thing."

"It still doesn't tell us where those notes are coming from, though," said Steed.

"Blimey, that's not the important part. I thought we were determining if those notes were true," said the Doctor.

"You mean to say that you believe the MPs could actually _be_ aliens?" asked Steed.

"Well, if you really want to be sure, here's what you should do. Have that lot over for lunch. Don't tell them it's about the letters. Say you need their input on the budget or some other policy; they'll jump at the chance. Then, be sure to serve salad, and have someone bring the dressing separately. Make sure it's one with vinegar, and have the waiter or aide who's carrying it trip and spill it on all of them. Then you'll know."

"And how exactly will spilling salad dressing on MPs tell us if they're aliens?" asked Mrs. Peel.

"Can't tell you that, but trust me, you'll know if they're aliens," said the Doctor, with a wink. "Now if you don't mind, Rose and I have to be going. Lovely to see you again, Brigadier."

"Good to see you again, Doctor, and lovely to meet you, Rose," said the Brigadier.

"Good luck with your case," said the Doctor. "Don't be surprised if you don't find any aliens, though."

Before Steed or Mrs. Peel could say anything, the Doctor swept Rose out the door. They bid goodbye to the Brigadier and rushed after the Doctor and Rose. Hurrying down the street, they could just make out a bit of the conversation.

"Where shall we go next?"

"Somewhere fun- definitely with no Slitheen!"

"Other side of the galaxy then. Let's see how far we can go."

* * *

"You know, it's funny how these things happen," said the Doctor. "Just think, if the Brigadier hadn't had those personnel files, we'd never know why those spies were following us."

"I still can't believe you managed to land the TARDIS outside the flat of a real spy. My mum was right, you really are lookin' for trouble," said Rose.

"Ah, but you wouldn't have it any other way," he said, taking her hand.

"True. I love our travelin', even if it does mean we run for our lives an awful lot."

He turned and smiled at her as they walked back toward the TARDIS.

* * *

Steed and Mrs. Peel followed the pair all the way back to Stable Mews. They were just a block away, when a passerby bumped into Steed, knocking him off his feet.

"Keep going, Mrs. Peel," he said. "I'll catch up."

She nodded and kept walking. When she rounded the corner, she saw the Doctor and Rose standing at the door to the police box. The Doctor pulled out a key, unlocked the door, and the two went inside. Mrs. Peel turned and gestured to Steed to hurry up. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind, and when she looked back around the corner, the police box was gone. Steed stood beside her, both of them puzzled.

"Steed, I'd swear to you that police box was there a moment ago. Those two unlocked it and walked right in. I only turned my back for a moment- how could they possibly have moved that thing so fast?"

"Perhaps, Mrs. Peel, we've had our alien encounter for the day and just didn't know it."

"Don't be silly, Steed."

 _A/N: The MPs mentioned are real, from the '60s (just for a touch of authenticity), but have never been accused of being aliens as far as I know._


	6. Chapter 6

_Returning to 2006..._

Steed opened the paper as he relaxed in his chair. It was a morning ritual he'd developed. He'd have to keep up with the news, if he was still a Department man, but now he just did so out of habit. A spy to the core, he sometimes wished he was still working. However, John Steed was now in his eighties, making it much more difficult to tangle with diabolical masterminds. He cast his mind back to some of the adventures he'd had over the years as he thumbed through the paper's many pages. When he saw one particular article, hidden all the way on A16, he snapped out of his reminiscences.

Grabbing his vintage rotary phone, he dialed a familiar number.

"Mrs. Peel? You're needed. Yes, it's me. I know it's been a while. Can you come here? I've got to show you something you may not believe." He relaxed. "Excellent. I'll see you soon."

As he put the phone down, Steed looked at the article again and re-read the headline: "Explosion at school a mystery; officials in Deffry Vale puzzled."

* * *

Arriving at Steed's flat, Mrs. Peel wondered what had poked at his curiosity this time. They didn't join up for adventures the way they used to, but when Steed got a feeling that something needed investigating, his instinct was as good as ever.

Opening the door, he ushered her inside the flat.

"Do you remember years ago, that case with the MPs accused of being aliens?"

"Yes, we never did find out how that couple with the police box vanished."

"It's a good thing I still read the paper. Have a look at this."

He handed her the paper, folded to show a particular article. "I heard about that. The school had been absolutely soaring with its test results, and then there was that explosion, and a good bit of the staff went missing."

"Look closer."

Mrs. Peel picked up the paper again and noticed the byline for the first time. "Sarah Jane Smith? But isn't she the one we found those photos of with that other doctor?"

"More than that. I had a friend look up her details. All the data is consistent with the information we found back then, even her birth date. Just how she managed it, I don't know, but that photo we found has got to be her. But you haven't seen it all- have another look. Third time's the charm."

Glancing over the page, Mrs. Peel spotted the third item- a photo of the burned-out school. Crowds of students filled the frame, but at the edge were a man in a brown pinstriped suit and a blond girl wearing a zip-up jacket and jeans.

"It can't be. Doctor John Smith and Rose Tyler?" she said.

"I'm at a loss for any other explanation..." Steed trailed off.

"Well, there's only one way to know for sure," she said.

"Too right, Mrs. Peel. The direct approach."

"Although, we may want to do some investigation of our own first." Mrs. Peel walked over to her bag and pulled out a laptop. "Steed, I'd like you to meet the 21st century. Twenty-first century, meet Steed." She looked at him with a half smile. "Oh, I'm only teasing you, Steed, but it will help us find some background information quickly."

"Carry on, then, Mrs. Peel. I defer to you as the expert in computers."

She logged on to the Internet; it appeared that one of Steed's neighbors had wireless, and she was getting a good signal. "We'll have better results with her name. His might be too common to find him in particular."

Typing "Rose Tyler" into the newspaper's search engine, she clicked and waited for results. The first headline on the result list caught her attention. "Powell Estate teen still missing; police question boyfriend a fourth time." Clicking the link, she brought up the page. Underneath the headline, a clear photograph of a smiling Rose Tyler stared back at her.

"This seems to confirm it. She went missing about two years ago. It looks like the police suspected her boyfriend, Michael Smith, had a role in her disappearance."

"We're just inundated with Smiths today, it seems. Sarah Jane, John, and Michael... Is she still missing?"

Mrs. Peel clicked back to the results list. "No, there's another article from a couple of months later. It's short, but it says she just came home one day and told her mother and the police that she'd been traveling for a year and forgotten to call."

"Are you sure? Something doesn't sound right there."

"Absolutely. There's not much here though. Most of the articles from that day seem to be about the alien scare they had out on the Thames, by the Houses of Parliament, the day 10 Downing Street went up."

"Aliens in Parliament?" asked Steed. "That was precisely the matter at hand the last time we saw her."

"I'm looking for photos of the wreckage. Here we go." She clicked on a news photo gallery and began scrolling through the pictures. "First, all the police officers went running, then that missile hit. And then, Harriet Jones came out. She wasn't prime minister then, of course, just MP for Flydale North."

Mrs. Peel handed the computer over to Steed. "Just press that button each time you're ready for the next photo."

Steed looked over the photos and was about to hand the computer back when he froze.

"This is uncanny- look, there she is again. The very day she reappears from being missing, and she's in the middle of the first missile explosion in London in years." Steed frowned. "'Aliens' both times too. I don't see our Doctor there, but she's standing with another man. There, in the leather jacket."

"The caption refers to him as one of the experts called in to analyze the threat. The only one to survive, in fact. It doesn't give his name, though." Mrs. Peel read through the article again. "I just don't understand, Steed. How can it be the same girl? We saw her nearly forty years ago."

"I don't know. But look at her- absolutely the same girl, even the same name. And she's the same age as when we saw her. We could go into that explanation of us meeting her mother or something, but I don't really believe it."

"Then what _do_ you believe?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps she doesn't age? She and her friend did give us advice on 'aliens', and here she is again, right in the middle of a supposed alien problem. Perhaps she is one, if you want to extend the realm of possibility."

"But what about her mother, who was looking for her for a year? Surely if she's a _space alien_ , she wouldn't want to call attention to her departure like this."

"Can you explain it any better, Mrs. Peel?" Steed rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Aliens. I wonder... And what about her friend? He's in the middle of all of this too."

He walked over to the telephone. "When I saw the byline on that first article, I got Sarah Jane Smith's contact information, just in case."

He dialed and waited as the line rang.

"Hello?" said a female voice.

"Hello, is this Sarah Jane Smith? My name is John Steed. I'm calling about your recent article on the explosion at Deffry Vale."

"I see. What exactly did you want to know about it?"

"Well, I noticed the photograph that accompanied the story, and I was hoping you could clear up a mystery for me."

"I'm afraid I don't know extensive details on the damage; they haven't finished assessing the property for rebuilding."

"No, no. Nothing like that. It's just that I saw something in that photo that seems quite impossible. One of the teachers, the caption said."

"That's certainly possible, but I'm failing to see your question."

"The matter that really concerns me is that Mr. John Smith, physics teacher, bears an uncanny likeness to someone I met years ago. A doctor of sorts. And wouldn't you know it, his name was John Smith as well."

Steed heard a small gasp from the other end of the line. He continued, "The only wrench in all this is that I met him in 1967, and he seems not to have aged a day. I've gotten the impression that perhaps he was a mutual acquaintance of ours?"

"What do you want?"

"I merely want to satisfy my curiosity about the old boy. Would you be free to meet me for tea, say around three o'clock?"

"I'll meet you, but I won't guarantee I've got the answers you want."

"Splendid. Meet me at the café in East Dulwich Road, just past Fenwick Road, at three."

Please review- I've enjoyed the feedback from the last chapter immensely.


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah Jane sighed as she hung up the phone. "I was afraid of something like this. He's always in the thick of it, skipping out before anyone can ask him a question. And he's so fond of Earth, and London in particular, I'm not surprised someone would recognize him and wonder."

"Do not fret, Mistress," chirped a digitized voice.

"Thank you, K-9, but I've got to figure out how much I can tell these people. I don't know if they're simply curious about seeing the Doctor twice or if they're more sinister than that."

"May I suggest research, Mistress? Information may illuminate the situation."

"I think you're right. I'll give a quick check on Mr. Steed's background- perhaps there's even a record of the incident where he met the Doctor."

* * *

Steed walked into the café slowly, leaning on his brolly every few steps. How things had changed- he was still every bit the gentleman, but now he needed Mrs. Peel to open the doors for _him_.

They had arrived a bit early to check out the place; Steed wasn't too worried. He often came into this cafe, as it was not too far from his flat. It felt like home turf to him, and he wanted every confidence about him when he sized up Sarah Jane Smith. Choosing a table along the back wall, the two sat down to wait.

"She may be wary of us; on the phone she sounded a bit apprehensive," mused Steed.

"If Rose Tyler and this Doctor are such a mystery and she's the only one with the answers, she might wonder why we want to know and what we plan to do with the information," said Mrs. Peel. "We've got to make her feel at ease with us, or she won't tell us anything."

"She's also an investigative journalist, so I wouldn't bet on her being timid about it. If anything, I think she'll be steeling herself for a confrontation," said Steed.

"There's something odd about this whole situation, and she may not want to tell us what it is."

"She _did_ agree to meet us, though. Put that down for the positive side."

"Very true, Mrs. Peel."

* * *

"A secret agent? Oh, the Doctor must have loved that," said Sarah Jane. "I can just see him ducking round corners, acting like James Bond to outwit the fellow. But you say his record shows that he's on the up and up?" She paused and moved the phone to her other ear. "I see. Curious, but probably not a threat. And Rose was there for this one as well? I wonder what she thought of it all. Thank you for the information, Brigadier, and I hope I haven't disturbed you. Yes, of course. We've all got a soft spot for him, haven't we? Thanks again."

She hung up the phone and reach down to pet K-9. "It sounds like we've got ourselves a pair of curious and confused spies, old friend. The Brigadier said he was there when they met the Doctor, and he doesn't think they're a threat."

K-9's tail wagged. "Engaging cheerful mode, Mistress. Do you require any further assistance?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I think if I showed up to that café with you, there would only be more questions."

"Affirmative."

* * *

Sarah Jane took a deep breath as she neared the café. _Here goes nothing_ , she thought. Pushing open the door, she walked in and scanned the room for anyone who could be Mr. Steed. A woman stood up in the back of the room stood up and walked toward her.

"Ms. Smith? I'm Mrs. Emma Peel; I'm here with Steed- he's sitting back there."

She pointed to an elderly man in a smart suit at a back table. Sarah Jane's face was an impassive mask. She wasn't usually the one answering questions, and frankly, asking them was a much more comfortable position for her.

Looking at Steed and Mrs. Peel's faces, she felt tense but oddly reassured at the same time. Just thinking of what an unsavory person could do with too much information on the Doctor and Rose sent a chill down her spine. The thing was, and she couldn't put her finger on it, these people seemed to be radiating an honest vibe.

 _Maybe the Brigadier's recommendation is coloring my judgment, but I might be able to trust them... we'll see how the conversation goes_ , she thought.

Sitting down, she met Steed's gaze.

"So, Mr. Steed, what can I do for you?"

"Just Steed, Ms. Smith. As I said on the phone, I found myself rather puzzled with the set of facts I have. During the course of business in 1967, we met a young couple, Doctor John Smith and his colleague Rose Tyler."

"By business, you mean government intelligence, yes?" asked Sarah Jane.

Steed raised his eyebrows and tilted his head questioningly.

"You're not the only one who does detailed research, Mr. Steed."

"Touché. Doctor Smith gave us advice on our case, but then he and Miss Tyler vanished quite mysteriously without a trace. Imagine my surprise to find that they turned up in Deffry Vale looking exactly the same, nearly 40 years later!"

"And you contacted me with your strange suspicions, simply because I wrote the article? I didn't even interview the Doctor for it- he isn't mentioned anywhere but the photo caption. A reporter usually has little to do with the photo and caption that accompany the story, Mr. Steed. Editors and photographers take that responsibility the majority of the time," said Sarah Jane. "That leads me to believe there's another reason why you contacted me, and I'd like to know what it is."

Exchanging a glance with Mrs. Peel, Steed responded. "In the interest of mutual cooperation, I'll tell you that you're right. When we thought about these two and saw your byline, we remembered a photograph that turned up when we checked Doctor Smith's background in 1967."

Taking her cue from Steed, Mrs. Peel reached into her bag, pulled out the photograph, and passed it to Sarah Jane. "We were mystified as to how this photo could be real, as we acquired in 1967," she said. "You look about 20, however, and that's just as impossible as the photo we saw in the newspaper."

As Sarah Jane was processing the photo of herself and the Doctor, looking just as he did when he'd dropped her in Aberdeen, a waitress appeared at the table to take their order.

"Tea and biscuits for the two of us," said Steed.

The waitress looked over at Sarah Jane. "Oh, just a green salad for me, with a vinaigrette if you've got it."

The waitress walked away, and Steed continued. "I assume there's some sort of connection between the three of you. I can honestly tell you that we are not here for any official mission- I'm long since retired. Simply put, I'm looking to solve this mystery for the two of us. I have no intention of hurting your friends."

"And assuming they are my friends, what guarantee do I have of that?"

"Besides my personal reassurances? You did say you checked up on me. Did you find out what other people think of me? Whether I'm trustworthy and brimming with integrity? This isn't the first time I've seen something out of the ordinary, you know. There was the seemingly invisible man who really just had a clever costume and a mechanically-rigged house... and of course, the experimental laser beam that shrank Mrs. Peel and I to the size of action figurines. Actually, come to think of it, there was a fellow there who looked remarkably like Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart."

"Steed, aren't those mission files still classified?"

"Ah, Mrs. Peel, we've got to give a little trust to earn some. Besides, it's rather old news at this point," he said, winking at Sarah Jane. "The catch with this case is that those old ones all had real scientific explanations. In fact, I think every odd case we had ended up being quite simple to debunk once we had all the facts. However, I can't seem to find a logical explanation this time around."

Steed leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. "Ms. Smith, I assure you that I'm just a curious old man who is looking to clear up a mystery. I can even tell you some of my own rather embarrassing stories if it would make you feel better."

She couldn't help herself; Sarah Jane smiled. "You're right. I did check up on you, and a very old friend confirmed that you were an honorable sort of fellow, even for a spy. I needed to see proof for myself, though."

"And now that you've seen me?"

"I might be willing to help you with a few of your questions, but I won't guarantee you an answer to everything, no matter how highly recommended you are."


	8. Chapter 8

As the waitress set the food on the table, Steed looked at Sarah Jane quizzically. "A vinaigrette? That reminds me of the advice the Doctor gave us in our case. It's been declassified," he said, with a mischievous glance at Mrs. Peel, "so I can tell you some of the details. The case itself involved anonymous letters some MPs were receiving. Each letter accused that MP of being an alien. We were directed to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart."

"I see. And what does that have to do with the photos you've shown me?"

"When we arrived at Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's office, both Rose Tyler and Doctor John Smith were there. The Doctor got our case mission confused, however- he seemed to think that we were determining if the threats were true, not where they were originating. In the end, he told us that spilling vinegar-based salad dressing on the MPs would tell us if they were aliens, but he wouldn't say how. It was all very curious."

"You still haven't answered _my_ question, Mr. Steed."

"You're quite right. I'd actually seen those two before I saw them in the Brigadier's office. Earlier that day, a blue police box suddenly existed on the corner outside my flat, and I saw two people emerge from it. I followed them, and with Mrs. Peel's help, looked up some of the names I'd heard in their conversation and in the Doctor's conversation with the Brigadier. That's how I ended up with the curious photo of you- your name was one of the ones I'd overheard, and the photo was in the Department's archives." Steed paused for a moment, then continued. "As for the Deffry Vale photo, I just happened to be reading the paper and noticed the photo and your byline. And now, I believe, it's my turn to ask for some answers."

Inwardly, Sarah Jane tensed up. She wasn't sure how much Steed knew about the Doctor- he'd seen the TARDIS, but did he know what it was? _How can I even begin to explain how Rose and the Doctor looked the same now as they did then without giving everything away?_

"My working theory, however improbable, is that Rose Tyler is some sort of alien who has enabled Doctor Smith to stay with her and not age."

"And how have you come to that rather fanciful conclusion, Mr. Steed?" asked Sarah Jane.

"We found those two together twice, but the third time we found Rose, in a photo at the destruction of 10 Downing Street, she was with a different man, a supposed expert called in for an alien threat. I ask that you answer me honestly on this- is Rose an alien?"

Smiling at Steed as though his idea was perfectly ridiculous, Sarah Jane shook her head. "I can definitively say that Rose is not an alien."

"Then why was she at 10 Downing Street that day and at Deffry Vale when it exploded?"

"I can't speak to her presence in Downing Street- she never mentioned it to me- but I do know that the Doctor was investigating the UFO sighting nearby for his work and they needed to stay inconspicuous in the area, so they got jobs at the local school."

"His work? And does the Doctor really work for the Ministry of TARDIS, as he told us?"

Sarah Jane nearly spit out the water she was drinking. She could just imagine the Doctor cheekily announcing _that_. Who knew what he'd told them TARDIS meant- certainly not Time And Relative Dimension In Space.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Yes, he definitely works closely with the 'Ministry of TARDIS.' I don't think he be able to go anywhere without it."

Now a smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth as she silently contained her mirth.

"If she isn't an alien, then how could they have vanished from the street so fast with that police box?" queried Steed.

"Think of it like a magician's secret. Does a great illusionist reveal his mirrors, the trick of the light, and his sleight of hand?"

"Well then, how can Rose and the Doctor look the same after 40 years?"

Sarah Jane's face straightened into a more serious expression, but she couldn't help tossing out an explanation worthy of the Doctor. "You should see what they're doing with face cream these days!"

Mrs. Peel raised her eyebrows at that, but Steed conceded the question and moved on.

"And where do you fit into all of this? How was that photo possible, and who was that man? It was labeled 'The Doctor,' but it can't possibly be the same man, can it?"

"I believe I'll stay silent on my part in this. As for the man in the photo and the Doctor you met? Let's just say that they're similar in temperament but not in appearance," Sarah Jane said cryptically.

"I see," said Steed, frowning slightly.

"And I have no doubt, Mr. Steed, that if the Doctor said salad dressing was the way to expose aliens, he was absolutely serious. Mind you, until a crisis hits, he often doesn't act serious," said Sarah Jane, a twinkle in her eye.

Pushing back her chair, Sarah Jane stood. "The Doctor and Rose are good people, and if I find that you're trying to hurt them- just remember that I'm well-connected too. If they visit you again, I'm sure they'd love to hear your theories..."

Steed and Mrs. Peel stood up as Sarah Jane made her way out of the café.

"I wonder if we'll ever see those two again," mused Mrs. Peel.

Steed turned to her with a half-smile. "Time will tell, Mrs. Peel."

 _A/N: This story would not have been nearly as good and polished without the help and feedback of timesup._


End file.
